* Challenging and provocative book * Shows how management accounting techniques can be integrated into the strategic decision making process * Extensive use of practical examples from a variety of contexts.An introduction to business strategy for management accountants, financial accountants or managers with an accounting orientation. The book places management accounting clearly within the context of strategic management of the business. Offers qualified accountants a sound introduction to strategic management, and with practical examples and mini-cases provided throughout, this book is comprehensive yet concise.
Keith Ward addresses strategic management accounting as a continuous process of analysis, planning and control. Management accounting is about supplying the right information to the right people at the right time, and this can only be expressed in the context of the business strategy and strategic plan. The implementation of appropriate management accounting systems to complement different strategies is discussed in detail. Applications and examples include multinational organizations, non-profit organizations and varying organizational structures. Finally the author covers methods of using management accounting for strategic advantage.
Challenging and provocative book
Shows how management accounting techniques can be integrated into the strategic decision making process
Extensive use of practical examples from a variety of contexts

This title was first published in 2003. Based on psychological research, auditing studies have focused on 'belief revision' as a way of understanding how auditors evaluate evidence. Moreover a belief revision process is consistent with US auditing standards. UK standards on the other hand do not appear to give guidance on the process to follow when evaluating evidence. Research in the US indicates that auditors do in fact follow a belief revision process in accordance with US standards. Employing survey research (based on personal interviews with a number of experienced UK auditors) this book demonstrates how auditors prefer to be described as following the open mind approach. Building on the findings of the interviews the book then describes an experimental study to investigate the differences between the belief revision and open mind approaches in terms of their effect on the efficiency and effectiveness of the audit process. The book concludes that the belief revision approach would improve the efficiency of the audit process without affecting its effectiveness or outcomes.

Savvy managers no longer look at contracting processes and documents reactively but use them proactively to reach their business goals and minimize their risks. To succeed, these managers need a framework and A Short Guide to Contract Risk provides this. The foundation of identifying and managing contract risk is what the authors call Contract Literacy: a set of skills relevant for all who deal with contracts in their everyday business environment, ranging from general managers and CEOs to sales, procurement and project professionals and risk managers. Contracts play a major role in business success. Contracts govern companies' deals and relationships with their suppliers and customers. They impact future rights, cash flows, costs, earnings, and risks. A company's contract portfolio may be subject to greater losses than anyone realizes. Still the greatest risk in business is not taking any risks. Equipped with the concepts described in this book, business and risk managers can start to see contracts differently and to use them to find and achieve the right balance for business success and problem prevention. What makes this short guide from the authors of the acclaimed Proactive Law for Managers especially valuable, if not unique, is its down-to-earth managerial/legal approach. Using lean contracting, visualization and the tools introduced in this book, managers and lawyers can achieve legally sound contracts that function as managerial tools for well thought-out, realistic risk allocation in business deals and relationships.

The Routledge Companion to Intellectual Capital offers a comprehensive overview of an important field that has seen a diverse range of developments in research in recent years. Edited by leading scholars and with contributions from top academics and practitioners from around the world, this volume will provide not just theoretical analysis but also evaluate practice through case studies. Combining theoretical and practice perspectives, this comprehensive Companion addresses the role of IC inside and between organisations and institutions and how these contribute to the IC of nations, regions and clusters. Drawing on an extensive range of leading contributors,The Routledge Companion to Intellectual Capital will be of interest to scholars who want to understand IC from a variety of perspectives, as well as students who are seeking an authoritative and comprehensive source on IC and knowledge management.

The complete guide to the basics of nonprofit financial management Let's be honest. Most books about financial management are densely written, heavy on jargon, and light on practicality. Expert financial consultant and author Tom McLaughlin takes a different approach with his fourth edition of Streetsmart Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers. This comprehensive guide provides effective, easy-to-use tips, tools, resources, and analyses. The light, humorous tone in Streetsmart Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers makes it an accessible resource for nonprofit executives, board members, students, and those new to the field. This book forgoes useless, pretentious verbiage in order to outline real-world strategies that work. This edition includes: * New insights, updates, vignettes, case studies, and examples to deal with the implications of nonprofit financial management * An examination of nonprofit business models in relation to growing demands from the government and other funders * How to construct business plans for virtually any nonprofit entity * Customizable resources including financial worksheets, forms, and Excel templates to help nonprofit managers complete their day to day assignments * A guided tour through common aspects of nonprofit management, such as financial analysis, accounting, and operations Practical and informative, Streetsmart Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers is the go-to financial management reference for nonprofit managers, boards of directors, and funders.

This title was first published in 2001: Product and particularly customer profitability are black holes in most managers' understanding of their business. Identifying customer revenue is easy but identifying what they cost - so we can understand whether or not they are profitable - is difficult. In a world in which competition, regulation and the increasing use of the Internet put ever greater pressure on margins it is vitally important to understand both product- and customer-profitability. Activity Based Management (ABM) enables you to do this. This book explains the power of using ABM to increase the profitability of your business. It provides step-by-step guidance on basic principles, comparisons between traditional methods, definitions of processes, activities and cost-drivers as well as details of data collection techniques and implementation steps. Through the book's numerous detailed examples a logical picture builds up of how to obtain the benefits that ABM can deliver. On its own ABM will change management decision-making: by showing how ABM also supports other profit improvement initiatives such as Business Process Reengineering, Shareholder Value Added and Customer Relationship Management, managers will learn how they can use the best possible toolkit to put their business firmly on the road to leaps in profitability.

Managing Finance is developed from tried and tested materials that are easy to read and work is written from a managerial perspective for general managers on executive or MBA courses. The text focuses on accounting from the viewpoint of the needs of managers for financial information and understanding. Scenarios and examples are included that demonstrate a socially responsible approach. Business Scenarios are presented at the opening of each chapter and this is then used to explore the topics covered given at the start of the chapter. This approach is very appealing to people with business experience There is supplementary material with this text for the website with additional exercises, cases, multiple choice questions, Powerpoint presentations, and tutorial material. This will be kept up-to-date and provide links to other resources.

The book gives practical instruction and guidance in the use of accounting for effective control and higher profit in hotel and catering operations. The author covers all aspects of the subject, setting arguments and examples in a real context.

****This is a pocket-sized version of the A4 pictorial guide***Whatever the shape or size of a business, they all have one thing in common - they hope to make money. A major factor in determining success is the ability of management to control its finances. Business Finance painlessly demystifies the process of accounting and the understanding of business finance. Follow the adventures of a small-time entrepreneur and his finance director as she helps him turn his business from a potential casualty of the 'Death Valley Curve' into an efficient, profit-making success story. Balance sheets, profit and loss statements, cash flow, working capital, depreciation, cash flow forecasting, budgeting, and gearing are all explained making this the book to guide readers safely through the jargon jungle of financial management.

While financial disharmony can blow a marriage apart, financial harmony can bind it together. In this highly practical book, Mary Hunt helps couples bring the principles of intimacy-the foundation for harmony and debt-free living-into management of their money. These principles include acceptance, freedom, safety, and honesty in money matters, creating an atmosphere that unifies two lives into one. Debt-Proof Your Marriage is packed with real-life advice that infuses readers with hope and direction. It covers everything couples need for managing their money in harmony, including how to: * reconcile different money behaviors and beliefs * let go of financial fears * understand the basics of practical money management * share financial work between two people * manage roller coaster income * successfully live debt-free Hunt's essential guide will help couples protect both their marriage and their money. With the interactive workbook, it's ideal for small group study or pre-marital counseling as well.

This book goes beyond traditional financial institutions textbooks, which tend to focus on mathematical models for risk management and the technical aspects of measuring and managing risk. It focuses on the role of financial institutions in promoting social and economic goals for the communities in which they operate for the greater good, while also meeting financial and competitive challenges, and managing risks. Cooperman divides the text into seven easily teachable modules that examine the real issues and challenges that managers of financial institutions face. These include the transformative changes presented by social unrest, climate change and resource challenges, as well as the changes in how financial institutions operate in light of the opportunities that rapid innovations and disruptive technologies offer. The book features: Up-to-date coverage of new regulations affecting financial institutions, such as Dodd Frank and new SEC regulations. Material on project financing and new forms of financing, including crowd funding and new methods of payment for financial institutions. New sustainable finance models and strategies that incorporate environmental, social, and corporate governance considerations. A new chapter on sustainable financial institutions, social activism, the greening of finance, and socially responsible investing. Practical cases focusing on sustainability give readers insight into the socioeconomic risks associated with climate change. Streamlined and accessible, Managing Financial Institutions will appeal to students of financial institutions and markets, risk management, and banking. A companion website, featuring PowerPoint slides, an Instructor's Manual, and additional cases, is also available.

This book explores the relevance of management accounting research and practice for a range of broader, societal phenomena related to corporate governance and regulation, the creation and maintenance of markets and their concomitant social and political implications. It also explores the theoretical and methodological implications of pursuing a research agenda exploring such phenomena in greater detail. Containing a number of theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions by leading management accounting scholars, The Societal Relevance of Management Accounting seeks to advance novel research approaches that go beyond the traditional intra-organisational focus that has long dominated management accounting research. As such, it seeks to enhance the relevance of management accounting research for a broader range of stakeholders and interest groups in and around individual organisations. This book was originally published as a special issue of Accounting and Business Research.

The Net Present Value (NPV) forecast lies at the heart of the business case on many projects. Martin Hopkinson's guide explains when, why and how NPV models should be built for projects and how this approach can be integrated with the risk management process. NPV models tend to be used during the earliest phases of a project as the business case is being developed. Typically, these are the stages when uncertainty is at its highest and when the opportunities to influence the project's plan are at their greatest. This book shows how project financial forecasting and risk management principles can be used to both improve NPV forecasts and to shape the project solution into one that is risk-robust. The text is sufficiently broad to be practicable for first-time users to employ the methods described. But it also contains insights into the process that are likely to be new to the majority of experienced practitioners. All users should find that the models used in this book will help to provide useful templates for exploiting the techniques that are used.

The accounting provisions of the Companies Act 1948 (CA48) represented a major change from the provisions of preceding company legislation, the Companies Act 1929 (CA29). CA48 contained radically different accounting and auditing provisions from those of any previous enactment and represented a substantial stride forward in generally accepted accounting standards. Until the publication of this book the explanation of the changes in CA48 was one that had remained relatively unexplored. This book examines the historical process which brought these regulatory changes about.

This book, first published in 1990, is a practical manual which presents guidance on how to carry out and evaluate an employee relations audit. This title also provides audits for five key areas of employee relations, including communication and consultation, equality of opportunity and disciplinary matters. This book should be of interest to lecturers, post-graduate students and practitioners of management, personnel, employee relations and industrial relations.

The primary aim of this basic book is to familiarize students in (international) English-language programmes with the basics in the fields of finance, finance management and accounting. No prior knowledge of business economics is required. This book is user-friendly, accessible, and yet comprehensive in its approach. It takes an in-depth, integrated look at the principles of management accounting, financial accounting and finance. Examples and case studies from newspapers and professional journals encourage the practical application of the material. Study questions reinforce and test the student's understanding of the key concepts. A glossary of key terms is included at the end of each chapter. The book also contains multiple choice questions and other assignments designed to stimulate thinking about the topics that are discussed. Further self-test materials are available at www.basicsfinancialmanagement.noordhoff.nl including interactive multiple choice questions, exercises, cases and teachers manual.

Artificial Intelligence in Accounting: Practical Applications was written with a simple goal: to provide accountants with a foundational understanding of AI and its many business and accounting applications. It is meant to serve as a guide for identifying opportunities to implement AI initiatives to increase productivity and profitability. This book will help you answer questions about what AI is and how it is used in the accounting profession today. Offering practical guidance that you can leverage for your organization, this book provides an overview of essential AI concepts and technologies that accountants should know, such as machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing. It also describes accounting-specific applications of robotic process automation and text mining. Illustrated with case studies and interviews with representatives from global professional services firms, this concise volume makes a significant contribution to examining the intersection of AI and the accounting profession. This innovative book also explores the challenges and ethical considerations of AI. It will be of great interest to accounting practitioners, researchers, educators, and students.

Effective Document and Data Management illustrates the operational and strategic significance of how documents and data are captured, managed and utilized. Without a coherent and consistent approach the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization may be undermined by less poor management and use of its information. The third edition of the book is restructured to take this broader view and to establish an organizational context in which information is management. Along the way Bob Wiggins clarifies the distinction between information management, data management and knowledge management; helps make sense of the concept of an information life cycle to present and describe the processes and techniques of information and data management, storage and retrieval; uses worked examples to illustrate the coordinated application of data and process analysis; and provides guidance on the application of appropriate project management techniques for document and records management projects. The book will benefit a range of organizations and people, from those senior managers who need to develop coherent and consistent business and IT strategies; to information professionals, such as records managers and librarians who will gain an appreciation of the impact of the technology and of how their particular areas of expertise can best be applied; to system designers, developers and implementers and finally to users. The author can be contacted at [email protected] for further information.

When it comes to money management, most of us take a hands-off approach because we're just not confident that we have the know-how needed. But personal finance is actually more personal than it is finance. Tim Maurer has made a career out of distilling complex financial concepts into understandable, doable actions. In this eminently practical book, he shows readers how to - better understand their values and goals in order to simplify their money decisions - budget major expenses intelligently - reduce and eliminate debt - make vital decisions on home, auto, and life insurance - establish a world-class investment portfolio - craft a workable retirement plan - and more Readers will be relieved to see that managing their money is actually not as complicated as they thought--and that they can take control of their financial future starting today.

Focusing on auditing as a judgment process, this unique textbook helps readers strike the balance between understanding auditing theory and how an audit plays out in reality. The only textbook to provide complete coverage of both the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Auditing reflects the contemporary evolution of the audit process. New additions to the book include expert updates on key topics, such as the audit of accounting estimates, group audit, and the Integrated Audit. Supplemented by extra on-line resources, students using this established text will be well-equipped to be effective auditors and to understand the role of auditing in the business world.

A knowledge of bookkeeping and a basic understanding of the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement are indispensable to education in business and economics. Basics of Bookkeeping meets the needs of accounting students and practitioners in understanding the complexities of the subject. After a brief study in elementary accounting, the authors introduce the basics of cost accounting, financial accounting and financial management. The book provides a practical approach and each new topic is followed by simple examples. With its concise approach, this textbook will be valued by students with no background in accounting and finance. A companion website featuring extra exercises and multiple choice questions can be found at www.bookkeeping.noordhoff.nl.

This book sheds light on the nature of the late nineteenth century audit by reference to the views expressed in 26 legal cases. The treatment of late nineteenth century legal issues which might appear somewhat unbalanced, viewed from today's stand-point, is shown to be more even handed when seen against the back ground of a vigorous contemporary debate concerning all aspects of the auditors' duties. This text therefore informs readers of the full breadth of the debate, and discusses a range of issues which may since have been overlooked, such as the Kingston Cotton Mill case, 1895, normally referred to only in the context of stock valuation but which also had a great deal to say about the appropriate method for valuing fixed assets.

This book's purpose is to enable educational researchers to make better use of the huge longitudinal and cross-sectional data files that are now readily available. Of value to experienced researchers and undergraduates alike, the book focuses primarily on the planning and design of research rather than implementation of data base information. Its chapters address a variety of vital questions including: * What variables are present in each of the major national data bases? * What are the problems and dangers in making comparisons across data bases? * What factors invalidate comparisons of test scores across data bases? * In what ways can data from certain data bases be physically merged with data from other data bases? This text clearly demonstrates what can be done with large national data bases and, perhaps equally important, what cannot be done -- or done only if certain precautions are taken.

Although there has been increased emphasis on research that attempts to understand, evaluate and improve audit decision making in recent years it is less well-known that some noteworthy contributions to the study of audit judgment were made in the 1950s and 1960s. This anthology contains five such contributions which in the mid 1980s were previously unpublished, out of print or not widely appreciated. The volume discusses: the importance of studying audit judgment actual studies of audit judgment techniques for quantifying the evaluation of internal controls.

First Published in 1997. Set in colonial Australia, this explanatory, investigative study examines the dimensions of accounting information prepared for pastoral industry engagement in the Western District of Victoria during 1836-1900 and the local, time-specific environmental factors which shaped these dimensions. Based on examinations of surviving business records, the study provides evidence of the structure and usage of pastoral accounting information in an unregulated financial reporting environment. As an interpretive historical study, it attempts to provide explanations of the accounting practices observed.